Off./Def. Ratings By Month, East Top 4 Seeds

The Heat, Bucks, Sixers, and Celtics are looking to maintain home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs as we approach April.

Miami occupies the top seed in the East, and their victory over the Celtics on Wednesday night helped give them some distance from Beantown. At 49-28, the Heat are 1 game up on the Bucks and 2 games up on both the Sixers and the Celtics.

Miami has been an elite team all year, and despite a recent slide in which they've gone 5-5 over their last 10, they remain a powerhouse in the Eastern Conference.

Miami has been above league average in both offensive and defensive rating since the new year. Aside from the Chicago Bulls, the Heat have the best home record in the East at 27-12, which will serve them well as they will likely have home court advantage through the first two rounds of action. Their stellar defense will be tested by the Bucks if they meet in the postseason, and a repeat of last year's performance would be a nightmare for the Heat.

The Milwaukee Bucks could've slowed down and coasted to the playoffs as the defending champs, but their offense has been mighty since the All-Star break. Their defense, on the other hand, could use some fine tuning as the playoffs loom.

Giannis and company took a huge leap in offensive production in February, but their defense fell below league average for the first time all season at the same time. Whether they can reenter championship levels of defensive intensity is an easy question to answer. The Bucks appear to have the best chance to make it out of the East this season.

The Sixers and Bucks battled it out last night, but Giannis dominated at the end of the third quarter, scoring 17 points in a row against a Philadelphia defense that had no answer for him with Embiid taking a scheduled bench break. Milwaukee took the W, winning the season series rubber match against Philly. After the game, Joel Embiid said that the Sixers have to match up his and Giannis' minutes in order to win.

Similar to the Bucks, the 76ers have seen their defensive numbers fall below league average post All-Star break. If Joel Embiid plays more minutes in the playoffs, that number should be closer to normal for them, but they still have no answer for Giannis when Embiid sits. Philly's offense has been in good shape since the Harden trade, but their depth is lacking with the subtraction of Seth Curry and Andre Drummond. This should be an interesting team to watch in the postseason.

The Boston Celtics can credit themselves for an incredible turnaround after a very slow start to the season. Their defense has been the best in basketball for what seems like an eternity, and the graph will illustrate that. They currently sit in the 4 seed after a very short-lived trip to the pinnacle.

The Celtics have not only been a juggernaut on defense, but they have increased their offensive efficiency each month, taking huge strides between January and February. They've gotten hot at the perfect time, and would have an intriguing with the Chicago Bulls if the season ended today. Boston has seen this movie before, however, and is looking to make The Finals for the first time since 2010. Their biggest challenger in the East will be the Milwaukee Bucks if the two end up meeting.